Prema immediately comes to mind when one considers female protagonists in Kannada movies in the 1990s and early 2000s who were strong. It is her narrative that is fascinating because of her many crossings between languages, her strength during her ups and downs (as well as her personal life), and her comeback to the screen. An updated biography of Prema as of 2025 - her life, career, family, and approximate net worth.

• Full Name and date of birth: Neravanda Chetticha Prema was born on 6 January 1977 in Bangalore, Karnataka. 
• Heritage and Growing up: Prema is a member of the Kodava people of Coorg (Kodagu). 
• Education & Interests: She studied in Mahila Seva Samaja High School in Bangalore and afterwards pursued her pre-university course (PUC). When her mother was in school and college, she used to participate in sports, especially high jump and volleyball. 
• Family: She has parents, Chetticha (mother) and Kaveri (father). She has a younger brother, Neravanda Aiyappa, who was a cricketer who represented Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy. She even has a sister, Indu, who is said to be residing in Dubai. 

• Age in 2025: Prema will be 48 years old (born in 1977). 
• Marital Life: She married Jeevan Appachu in 2006. But years later, in 2016, she divorced in the Family Court, Bangalore. She has given a talk about the absence of personal liberty in marriage and her emotional struggle in the past years. 
• Children: She does not publicly confirm the presence of children as of 2025. (No children are mentioned in the majority of the biographies.) 

• Debut and Breakthrough: The first credited Kannada film is Savyasachi (1995) with Shivarajkumar. 
• Her real breakthrough was with Om (1995), directed by Upendra, a cult film that won her significant acclaim. 
• Victory in Multiple Languages: A Kannada actress, she has also appeared in Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil movies. 
• Devi is one of her famous Telugu movies and was a commercial success. 

• She received the Karnataka State Film Award as the best actress in Om. 
• She is also the winner of the Filmfare Award - Best Actress ( Kannada ) in Kanasugara (2001). 

• In 2006, Prema took a break after her marriage and her final big movie before the break, Shishira (2009). 
• In 2017, she returned to the film industry with Upendra Matte Baa, selectively picking out roles. 

• Other Internet resources argue that her net worth is approximately USD 8-10 million (or equivalent in Indian rupees) based on her movie income, endorsements, and real estate investments. 
• She also owns property in Bangalore, a typical possession of most South Indian stars.